Automatic calf feeder



M. NEUMANN. AUTOMATIC CAYLF FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5 1921.

1,437,004, Patented Nov. 28, 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. NEUMANN- AUTOMATIC CALF FEEDER.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 192]. 1,437,004. Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

2'SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f M am w Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

i i'r MATH NEUMANN, OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC CALF FEEDER.

Application filed March 5, 1 921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATH NEUMANN, a citizenof the United States, residing'at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Calf Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to automatic calf feeders of the type disclosed and claimed in my two United States Patents #1,276,94l6, issued August 27, 1918, and #1525935, 1ssued December 16, 1919, and has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

To the above ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the'claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention with some parts broken away and sectioned;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of one of the pails and its holders, together with a portion of one of the track sections and cpnveying belts, some of said parts being shown in different positions by means of broken lines; and

Fig. 4 is a plan viewvof one of the dry feed receptacles and connected portion of conveying belts.

The improved automatic calf feeder includes a frame having four upright corner posts 5 and 6 connected in longitudinally spaced pairs, by upper and lower horizontal track rails 7, which, as shown, are in the form of angle bars, the latter of which are further connected to the posts 5 and 6 by braces 8 Transversely opposite posts 5 and 6 are connected, at their extensions, by upper and lower tie bars 9.

Rigidly secured to the ends of the track Serial No. 449,662.

rails 7, outward of the posts -5, are guard plates 10 having inturned guide flanges 11 which extend parallel to the posts 5. Vertically disposed bars 12 have their upper ends pivoted at 13 to the ends of the upper track rails 7 outward of the posts 6. The lower ends of the bars 12 are free for swinging movement toward and from the posts 6 andare held in different adjustments, against movement toward the posts 6, by eye-bolts 14 connected to said bars 12 by nut-equipped bolts 15 which work in segmental slots 16 in the lower track rails 7. The screw threaded ends of the eye-bolts 1 1 extend through perforations in lugs 17, formed by bending the respective ends of said track rails outward and have nuts applied thereto, outward of said lugs. To each bar 12 is secured a guard plate 18.

A pair of axially aligned driven sprocket wheels 19 are keyed to the inner ends of short shafts 2O journaled in the posts 5 just above the lower track rails 7, and a pair of axially aligned idle sprocket wheels-21 are journaled on stub shafts 22 secured to the posts 5 just below the upper track rails 7. A pair of idle sprocket wheels 23 horizontally aligned with the idle sprocket wheels 21, is j ournaled on stub shafts 24 secured to the posts 6, and a pair of idle sprocket wheels 25 horizontally aligned with the sprocket wheels 19, is journaled on stub shafts 26 secured to the bars 12. An endless sprocket chain 27 runs over each vertically aligned set of sprocket wheels 1921, 2325. These sprocket chains 27 are simultaneously driven by relative short sprocket chains 28 arranged to run over sprocket wheels 28, keyed to the outer end of the shafts 20, and sprocket wheels 29, keyed to the shaft 30 journaled in the lower track rails 7 and which shaft, as shown, may be operated by a hand crank 31.

Carried by the sprocket chains 27, are, as

shown, four skeleton pail holders 32, having at their tops, diametrically opposite hubs 33 which are journaled on axially aligned pivot studs 3& secured to and carried by said sprocket chains. Removably mounted in each pail holder 32 is a. pail 35 and the pails are releasably held in their holders 32 by providing said holders with spring latches 36 adapted to engage beads on the tops of Carried by the sprocket chains 27, opposite the pail holders 32, are a corresponding number of dry feed receptacles 38, also having diametrically opposite hubs 39 loosely journaled on pivot studs '40 secured by the sprocket chains 27. These dry feed recep ta'cles 38 are also closely positioned with sufficient clearance to permit said receptacle to be turned from upright to emptying pos1'ti.o n, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1.

To prevent the pails 35 and receptacles 38 from swinging when filled, there secured to one of the hubs 33 of. each pail 35 and one of the hubs 39 of each receptacle 38, a shoe 41. These shoes 41 are. arranged to slide on the upper and lower track rails 7 and they also have, at one oftheir, ends, oblique surfaces 42 arranged to slide over the guide flanges 11 during thetravel'of said shoes from the upper track rail 7 to the lower track ,rail7. i

' On the projecting ends of the lower track rail 7, at the posts 5, is a skeleton holder 43 removably supporting'asupply tank 44 having a faucet 45 arranged to discharge into the pails 35 as they are successivelybrought thereunder,as shown at the left in Fig. 1. WVithin the tank44 is a float 46 having an upright stem 47 which is guided-by a keeper brack et48fon said tankf On the upper end of the stem 47 is a horizontal arm 49 which carries, outward of the tank 44', a rod 5O having'apointer 51. This rod 50 is guided by keeperbrackets 52 on the outer. face of the tank 44 and is adjustably secured'to the arm 49 by opposing nuts 53 having screw threaded engagement therewith.

"lh'e'tank'44 is graduated at 54 fromtop to bottom thereof, by markings thereon or on a plate attached thereto, to indicate quarts andthese graduations 54 are arranged in groups of eight. quarts each, by means of numerals in triangular arrangement, as at 55. The numerals'55 for each group of graduations 54 appear in line therewith and'begin with 0 at the top and progressively increase, so that O, 1 appears ,inline with the next or second graduation,

and so on, until in line with the'last graduation, appears the numerals 0,1,2,3,4,5 ;""7. 8- By t d nt y he" du tions, the points, wherever setthereon, will startat O. A guard 57 is Secured to, the

I lower track rails 7 'at the frontof the feeder and extends over the respective sprocket chain 27 to the pails 35 or receptacles 38 defrom the pails 35., when turned upsidedown on the upper track rails 7. v I WVhen theplate 59 is turned into a position, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, the

same acts as a guard to prevent calves from getting to the pails 35 or receptacles 38 while they are being filled and positioned on the lower track rails Z. A suitable latch, not shown, may be provided for locking the combined guard and trough 59 in its position, as shown bybroken lines in Fig. 2; Operation.

The operation of the improved calf'feeder may be briefly described asf-follows:

The pails 35 may be'successively filled from the tank 44 with either milk or water by operatingthe hand crank 31w movesaid pails the chains 27, and stopping the same under the faucet 45. Before the. operator opens the faucet 45,he will note the position of the pointer 51, and if he wishes to,

fill the pails with, 'say two quartslof liquid,

he will allow the liquid to runthrough the faucet until the pointer 51 has dropped down two .of the graduations under the 0 point on which it started, before he closes said faucet. Afterthe pails 35 are all filled oras many as areto be filled, and positioned on the lower track rails 7 by the: operator 1 turning the hand crank 31, the guard 59 may be lifted and supported in its bracket GOto uncover the pails so that the calveszmay 'drink therefrom. The. guard 59 is used in the same manner, whi-le'the' receptacles .38 are being filled with dry feed and positioned on the lowertrack rails 7. V

lVliile the calves are drinking, the shoes 41 securely hold the pails and receptacles fromtipping by turning on their pivotal supports. After the calves are through drinking and feeding, the pails and receptaclesrnay be turneduon to theirsides or completely upside down, lifting the same, which will bend the chains 27 sufficiently to allow. said shoes to be set on end or turned "completely upside down. on the respective track rails 7. lVhen the pails and, receptacles are turned into emptying positions on the upper track rails 7, they will drain and empty'into the trough 59, as previously described, and when turned into emptying positions "at any point throughout the-travel of the chains 27,11'0 dirt can get therein. "By adjusting the bars 12, the tension of the sprocket chain 27 may be varied, at will.

The spring latches 36 permit the pails 35 to v be readily removed from their holders, but

. turned upside down.

will hold said pails in the holders when t is of course, understood that the apparatus may be of such size as to carry any desired number of pails and receptacles. The term sprocket wheels is herein used in a broad sense to cover any kind of a wheel and likewise, the term sprocket chains is intended to cover any kind of a belt.

The above described invention has, in actual usage, proven highly efficient for the purposes had in view.

JV hat I claim is 1. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame, of a plurality of traveling pails connected in endless arrangement with freedom for independent pivotal movement, and positive means for independently holding the pails against pivotal movement in predetermined positions of their travel.

In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame, of a plurality of travcling pails connected in. endless arrangement with freedom for independent pivotal movement from upright to emptying positions, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails and imparting traveling movement thereto, and ,common means for independently and positively holding the pails against pivotal movement in predetermined positions of their travel and for holding the pails in emptying positions in predetermined positions of their travel.

3. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having a track rail, of a plurality of traveling pails connected in endless arrangement with freedom for independent pivotal movement, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails and imparting traveling movement thereto, and shoes on the pails arranged, during a portion of the travel of the pails, to engage said track rail and hold the pails against pivotal movement.

4;. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having a track rail, of a plurality of traveling pails connected in endless arrangement withfreedom for inclependent pivotal movement, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails and imparting traveling movement thereto, and shoes on the pails arranged, during a portion of the travel of the pails, to engage said track rail and hold the pails against pivotal movement, or in emptying positions.

5. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the com bination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, of a plurality of traveling pails connected in endless arrangement with freedom for independent pivotal movement, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails to and from the track rails and therealong,

and means co-operating with the track rails for holding the pails against pivotal movement when at said track rails.

6.,Ina stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, of a plurality of traveling pails connected in endless arrangement with freedom for independentpivotal movement, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails to and from the track rails and therealong, and means co-operating with the track rails for holding the pails against pivotal movement when at said track rails, and while traveling from the upper track rail to the lower track rail.

7. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, of a pluralityof traveling pails connected in endless arrangement with freedom for independent pivotal movement from upright to emptying positions, wheels on the frame for guiding the pails to and from the track rails and therealong, and a combined trough and guard movable from one position wherein it affords a trough underlying the pails when at the upper rail and to another position wherein it affords a guard for the pails when at the lower track rai 8. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, a pair of laterally spaced endless belts, wheels on the frame for guiding the belts to and from the track rails and therealong, a plurality of pail holders and receptacles having hubs mounted on pivot studs arranged in axially aligned pairs on the two belts, pails on the pail holders, means for driving the belts, and shoes on certain of the hubs of the pail holders and receptacles engageable with the track rails for holding the pail holders and receptacles in upright positions against pivotal movement.

9. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, a pair of laterally spaced endless belts, Wheels on the frame for guiding the belts to and from the track rails and. therealong, a plurality of pail holders and receptacles having hubs mounted on pivot studs arranged in axially aligned pairs on the two belts, pails in the pail holders, means for driving the belts, and shoes on certain of the hubs of the pail holders and receptacles engageable with the track rails for holding the pail-holders and receptacles in upright positions against pivotal movement, andalso for holding the pail holders with the pails in emptying positions and with the receptacles in emptying positions.

10. In a stock-feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame having upper and lower track rails, a pair of laterally spaced endless belts, wheels on the frame for guiding the belts to and from the track rails and thereal0ng,' a plurality of pailholde'rsiand receptacles having hubs n10unted 0'n6piV0t studs arranged in axially aligned pairs on the two belts, pails'in the pail holders-, means cles engageable' with the track railsfer holding the pail holders and receptacles inyupright positions against pivotal:movement, 10

certain of the wheels being adjustable to act; as tightenersfor the belts; I In testimony whereof-I aflix my signature.

MATH NEUMANN. 

